Package-reacher.



E. O. TETRAULT.

PACKAGE REAGHER. APPLIUATION FILED APR.27, 1911.

4 1,014,785. Patented Jam 16, 1912.

W] T NESSES [1V VEN TOR EDWARD 0. TETRAULT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PACKAGE-REACHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

Application filed April 27, 1911. Serial No. 623,598.

To all whom it may concegn:

Be it known that I, ED'WARD O. TETRAULT, citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package- Reachers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices of that character which are employed for gripping and removing articles or packages which are disposed upon a high shelf, or in some other position such that they can not be conveniently reached with the hand.

The object of the invention is the provision of a package reacher which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be easily manipulated, and which provides an effective means for obtaining a package or article which is so disposed that it can not be reached with the hand.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a package reacher constructed in accordance with the invention, portions being broken away and shown in section, and the package reacher being shown as hung upon the ledge of a shelf. Fig. 2 is a front view of the package reacher, the jaws bein shown as closed in full lines, and open in dotted lines, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gripping jaws. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a handle which may be of any convenient length and is provided at the upper end thereof with a shoe-2, the said shoe being formed with a laterally projecting hooked arm 2 which may be employed for hanging up the package reacher when not in use, or for working a can or the like forward so as to be engaged by the gripping jaws where the cans are arranged closely portions of the U shaped levers extending laterally in opposite directions and the lower arms of the said U shaped levers having the ends thereof curved upwardly at 3 These upwardly curved ends 3 of the two U shaped levers cross each other and are pivoted to the handle 1 attheir point of inter-' section, as indicated at 4. The extremities of the levers project beyond the pivot point 4, and the projecting end of each lever is connected to the curved intermediate portion'of the opposite lever by means of a tension spring 5. The opposite and upper ends of the U shaped levers 3 are deflected outwardly away from the' handle'l and provided at their extremities with the inwardly extending opposed jaws 6. These jaws are shown as arranged in a plane at right angles to the handle 1, and may have rubber tub ing'7 slipped thereover, as indicated moreclearly in Fig.3, so as not to injure the articles engaged thereby. The springs 5 nor,- mally tend to move the jaws 6 toward each other, and when the levers 3 are swung outwardlyto separate the j aws,the extremities of the upwardly curved ends 3 thereof are moved inwardly while the curved intermediate portions of the levers are moved outwardly. This causes the springs 5 to be.

its upper end with a second finger piece 12..

The upper end of the slide is curved inwardly at 9" and received within a slot 13 in the handle, the said slot cooperating with the curved portion 9 to hold the upper end of the slide against lateral displacement.

When it is desired to use the package reacher, the handle is grasped by the operator and the jaWs 6 separated by pulling downwardly upon the lower finger piece 11 with the thumb of one of the hands. For the purpose of gripping the article, the fintogether upon the shelf. A pair of U shaped levers 3 are also mounted upon the-upper end of the handle, the curved intermediate means upon the handle for separating the a ger piece 11 is released and the springs 5 permitted to draw the jaws into a firm engagement with the article or package between the same. The article may then be removed from the shelf, and the handle 1 permitted to .slide through the hand until the lower end thereof rests upon the floor. The upper finger piece 12 will then be en gaged by the thumb for the purpose of pulling downwardly upon the slide 10 torelease the article, and the said article will be grasped by the other hand of the operator as it falls from the jaws 6. Should the articles be arranged closely together upon the shelf, it would be necessary to first use the hooked arm 2 to tilt one of the articles forward or work it away from the remainder of the articles so that it could be gripped by the jaws. When not in use, the package reacher would occupy a very small amount of space, and might be either placed in a corner or hung up by means of the arm 20.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a package reacher, the combination of a handle, a pair of U shaped levers provided at one end with opposed gripping jaws and having the opposite ends thereof crossed and pivoted at their point of intersection to the handle, the extremities of the levers projecting beyond the pivot point, springs connecting the said projecting portion of each lever with an intermediate portion of the opposite lever and normally tending to hold the jaws together, and means upon the handle for separating the jaws.

2. In a package reacher, the combination of a handle, a pair of U shaped levers each of which is provided at one end with a jaw while the opposite end thereof is curved inwardly, the said inwardly curved ends of the levers being crossed and pivoted at their point of intersection to the handle, a tension spring connecting the extremity of the curved end'of each lever with an intermediate portion of the opposite lever, the said springs normally tending to swing the levers toward each other so as to cause the jaws to grip an article placed between the same, and

j aws'.

ing the curved intermediate portions thereof extending laterally in opposite directions, the upper ends of the levers being deflected Copies of this patent may be obtained for 3. In a package reacher,the combination of a handle, a pair of U shaped levers havlaterally away from the handle and provided with inwardly extending opposed jaws, while the lowerends of the levers are crossed and pivoted at their point of intersection to the handle, the extremities of the lower ends of the levers projecting beyond the said pivot point, springs connecting the projecting portion of each lever with an intermediate portion of the opposite lever and tending to swing the levers toward each other, and means upon the handle for swinging the levers apart.

portion of the opposite lever and'normally tending to swing the levers inwardly toward each other,'a slide mounted upon the handle,

and an operative connection between the slide and-the levers for controlling the levers through the medium of the slide. 7

5. In a package reacher, the combination of a handle provided with a longitudinally disposed slot, guide members upon the handle,a slide mounted uponnthe' guide members and formed with a curved portion received withinthe slot, a pair of U shaped levers arranged with the curved intermediate portions thereof projecting laterally in opposite direct-ions, the upper ends of the said levers being formed with opposed-j aws, while the lower ends thereof are crossed and pivoted to the handle at their point of intersection, the extremities of the levers pro- 'jecting beyond the pivotpoint, a spring con-- :necting the'said projecting portion of each lever to an intermediate portion of the opposite lever, the said springs normally tending to swing the levers toward each other,

and link members connecting the curved intermediate portions of the levers to the slide.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two wlt-nesses.

EDWARD o. TETRAULT.

, Witnesses:

HELEN R. SHAILER, ERNEST WALKER SMITH.

Washington, D. 0.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

